Bass Fishing Hacks
Simple Hacks and Tips to Help You Catch More Bass
What tackle do I need for bass fishing?
You will need a few different types of lures and a good rod and reel combo to get started bass fishing. There are some bass fishermen that only use plastic worms to catch bass. There are other bass fishermen that only throw jigs for bass. This means that you only have to master one type of lure to effectively catch bass. Most bass fishermen like to fill up their tackle boxes with all sorts of lures.
Worms are not your best choice in every fishing scenario but they will catch bass most of the time. Crankbaits, spinnerbaits and frogs can be added to your tackle box to cover just about any bass fishing scenario that you will come against. The choices are endless these days for the types of lures that are available to catch bass.
I am a Bass Fishing Charter Guide on the Treasure Coast of Florida. I have been catching bass in the lakes, ponds and canals all over Florida for more than 40 years. In the article below, I will teach you everything that I know about choosing the correct tackle for your bass fishing needs.
Let’s get started.
Watch the ultimate rod and reel buying guide below.
What tackle box do I need for bass fishing?
I am what some would call a minimalist when it comes to tackle boxes. I like to bring just enough tackle to get the job done. That is probably because I am usually bass fishing from shore or from a kayak. That means the less that I bring the less that I have to worry about.
You will have to decide how much tackle that you like to have with you when you go bass fishing. You can almost always get away with a couple bags of plastic worms, a jig and a spinnerbait for most fishing scenarios. But I know that having lots of tackle makes many fishermen feel better about their bass fishing odds.
You have the choice between a hard and a soft tackle box. You will have to decide which one is best for your needs. I like to use a backpack for shore fishing for bass but that is me.
What fishing license do I need for bass fishing?
Every state in the United States requires bass fishermen to get a license. There are different rules in different states but sometimes if you are over 65 you can get a discounted license or you won’t need a license at all. You will have to check your state’s regulations to find that out for yourself.
What rod and reels do I need for bass fishing?
The best rod and reel for your needs depends upon how you like to fish. I use spinning reels most of the time but many bass fishermen only use baitcasting reels. Again this is a decision that you will have to make for yourself.
The only baitcaster rod and reel combo that I have is specifically for fishing in heavy cover with frogs. I like to fish with frog in super thick weed mats and lily pads for big bass. A spinning rod and reel combo is just not very efficient for that type of bass fishing.
So I have a heavy power, fast action rod that is 7 feet 2 inches long for fishing in the thick stuff. The reel that rod is coupled with is a 7.1:1 gear ratio to get those bass out of the weeds as quickly as I can get them out before they wrap the weeds around the line.
The line that reel is spooled with is 50 pound braid. That is enough strength to get any bass out along with 5 pounds of weeds too if that is the case. The 50 pound braid is harder to cast than a lighter braid but you don’t often need to cast very far when you are fishing in heavy cover anyways.
What fishing line do I need for bass fishing?
The best fishing line for bass fishing depends upon the fishing scenario that you are in. In the scenario where you are fishing in heavy cover then you will want to have a heavy braided fishing line from 50 to 65 pounds.
When you are fishing in crystal clear water for bass then you will want to use a fluorocarbon or mono filament fishing line because the bass will get a very good look at your baits in that scenario. You will want to use a light of a line as you can get away with in super clear water scenarios. A 10 to 14 pound test will usually do the trick in clear water bass fishing scenarios with not a lot of underwater structure to deal with.
What sunglasses do I need for bass fishing?
A good pair of polarized sunglasses are a must for bass fishing. They not only protect your eyes from the sun’s harmful rays but they also allow you to see past the glare on the surface of the water. This lets you see what is underneath the surface of the water.
I have found that rose and copper colored lenses help the most when the water is stained or dirty. In crystal clear water conditions the blue lenses seem to work the best. You will have to figure out what will work the best for you and your fishing conditions.
What plastic lures do I need for bass fishing?
The worm is the most iconic of the plastic bass lures. This was the first soft plastic that bass fishermen had access to. Then tubes, lizards, crawdads, creature baits and all sorts of other plastic lures came out. But the good old worm was the first and is still the one that most bass fishermen will grab for maximizing your bass catching.
There are all sorts of different types of worms on the market today for all kinds of different fishing techniques. There are Texas rigs, Carolina rigs, drop shot rigs, wacky rigs, ned rigs and the list goes on and on. The types of worms are endless but the colors that you need to use can be covered with three choices based on water conditions.
You will need a bag of watermelon colored worms for clear water. Clear water bass fishing scenarios require a more translucent bait to maximize your bass fishing results. Watermelon is a light green colored worm that lets light rays pass through it. This is the best color choice for clear water bass fishing.
The next color that you will need is green pumpkin. This is a more opaque dark green color. This is the best color for fishing in stained water conditions. Most of the bass fishing around the country has water clarity that is somewhat stained so this color can be used just about anywhere in the country. Every bass pro has this color tied onto one of their rods.
The last color that you need to have is black. A dark color like black is the best choice for dirty and muddy water scenarios. It doesn’t have to be black if you don’t like that color but it should be opaque. June bug is another popular color choice for dirty water scenarios. You can use purple or blue too but you want it to be very dark and opaque.
Watch the video below and catch more bass from shore.
What crankbaits do I need for bass fishing?
You can get away with just a few different crankbaits if you like crankbait fishing. You have to get crankbaits that will cover the bottom of the water column. Crankbaits work the best when they are bouncing off of the bottom or off of structure like branches.
The low frequency sounds that the crankbaits put out will attract bass from very far away. This coupled with the sounds that are put out in the water when the crankbait strikes something will also help to attract bass from all over the place.
A translucent crankbait will be your best choice for clear water. The translucence is really what you are going for when fishing with any lure in clear water. If you can match the size and types of prey that the bass are feeding on, then you will catch more fish too.
If they are going after shad, then a shad pattern is the way to go. If the bass are going for bluegill, then a bluegill pattern will be your best bet.
Just about all bass will eat crawdads so a crawdad crankbait is a must have for every bass fisherman’s tackle box. The bass can see reds and greens but the blues and purples are outside of their visual spectrum.
What spinnerbaits do I need for bass fishing?
You can get away with only having two colors of spinnerbaits. You need white most of the time but a black one is a great choice for cloudy days and dirty water.
There are only two blade choices that you need to know about too. A willow leaf blade is long and pointed. The willow leaf blades are more streamlined and can be fished more quickly. The willow leaf blades can also be fished in lily pads and other vegetation for those bass around structure of some kind.
Colorado blades are more rounded and put out a lot more vibrations. They are less hydrodynamic and will have to be fished more slowly than a willow leaf blade. These are good choices for when the bass are more lethargic.
When the bass are more lethargic, they will not want to chase down a fast moving lure so the Colorado blade is a great choice for cold water bass fishing.
What jigs do I need for bass fishing?
There are all sorts of jig types. There are swim jigs, punch jigs, weed less jigs, football jigs…….. You don’t need to have all of these jigs in your tackle box. You can get away with a few weed less jigs of varying sizes to cover just about any jig fishing scenario.
You will want to have a dark jig of some sort. This can be fished just about anywhere in any type of water clarity scenario. If you can learn how to master jig fishing, then you can catch a lot of bass over time.
What frogs do I need for bass fishing?
You can get away with two types of frog colors. You will need a light belly and a dark belly. The bass are only seeing the belly of the frog anyways so the top doesn’t really matter that much. The tops of the frogs are all painted up to catch bass fishermen, not the bass themselves.
There are hollow body frogs, popping frogs, solid bodied frogs and they come in all sorts of sizes. You really don’t need all of those different frogs. Frog fishing is your best choice for fishing in super thick vegetation where other lures just won’t do.
Those big huge bass are the ones that I like to target with frogs in very heavy cover. Those big bass are smart and like to stay close to cover most of the time. You can often catch your personal best bass fishing with a frog in super heavy cover. Frog fishing is great and is one of my favorite ways to catch big bass with lures.
What topwater lures do I need for bass fishing?
My favorite way to fish with top water lures is the walk-the-dog techniques. The Zara Spook is the most famous freshwater walk-the-dog lure that there is. You can use a natural looking lure with a light belly and be all set for fishing for bass with top water lures. If you are fishing in the dark or in dirty water then you might want to get one with a dark belly.
You will want to get a couple of different sizes of lures too. There are super spooks that are for large fish and smaller spooks for smaller bass. You will have to decide what will work best for your particular circumstances.
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